Meet Checkpoints on T Cells to Attack Tumors

9/27/2017 1:33:09 AM

A research report showed the checkpoint inhibitors that can fire up various types of T cells to attack tumors. In detail it can be explained as there are cancer immunotherapies that are able to block two different checkpoints on T cells. It launches immune attacks on cancer by expanding different types of T cells that infiltrate tumors.

The research is developed by researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report in the journal Cell. Jim Allison who is a Ph.D., Chairman and Professor of Immunology at MD Anderson said that the mechanisms of these two therapies mostly don’t overlap. Thus, it provides a reason that combining both works well than either alone. Mouse tumor models and human melanomas were treated with either anti- CTLA-4 or anti PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors. The researchers analyzed infiltrating immune cells from the mentioned models and melanomas.

The researchers used mass cytometry where they analyzed 33 surface markers and 10 intracellular markers to provide characterization to infiltrating cells.